ABSTRACT
The author's The Winters Tale is a play that begins in tragic circumstances but ends in retribution and fantastic renewal. King Leontes of Sicilia unreasonably suspects his wife Hermione of being unfaithful with Polixenes, Leontes boyhood friend. He further believes that the child Hermione is carrying is Polixenes as well, even though Leontes is the true father. Leontes throws Hermione into prison where she gives birth to a daughter Perdita. Hermione is one of the author's most virtuous characters. She is open and generous in her affections towards everyone which is why Leontes mistakes her friendship with Polixenes for adultery. Despite all of the emotional pressures she is under, Hermione's speech is a masterful defence of honour and right. She never resorts to sentiment or marital manipulation. The legal phrasings must be paired with the genuine grace that this character possesses. She knows her place, her virtue and her rights as a wife, mother and queen.
